Kalispell Education Foundation
Good Schools Make Good Communities!
Jasmyn Burdsall was the first ever recipient of the Kalispell Education Foundation’s An Evening of Fine Arts award at the senior’s ceremony at Glacier High School Wednesday evening (5/21/14). The KEF would like to thank GHS teacher CJ Cummins for presenting the award. Please click the link below to watch the presentation.
Students from four KPS schools were represented at this year’s fourth annual An Evening of Fine Arts in the FVCC Arts and Technology building. Every act was a highlight with a range of musical and dance numbers from musicals and theater. The KEF would like to thank everyone who participated in this year’s event.
Superintendent Darlene Schottle (left), Walmart repesentative Kathy (center right), and KMS principal Tryg Johnson (far right) joined teacher Cheryl Russell to announce funding of her Project Wii: Students Rising to Independence! A Walmart community grant will fund $1,000 of the project, and KEF Director Mike Kofford presented Cheryl with a certificate of recognition.
Local businessman and McDonald’s owner Scott Hadwin, joined KEF Director Mike Kofford and Glacier High teacher Josh Munro to announce that McDonald’s will be funding the Virtual Restaurant Simulation to be used in marketing classes at GHS. “We’re incredibly excited to get this going,” said Scott, “I think this will give students a taste of what running a business is really like.” Josh and Scott even discussed the possibility of McDonald’s staff coming in to take a simulation challenge against students before answering questions about running a restaurant. Congratulations to Josh, and thank you to Scott and McDonalds!
Shane Bitney Crone answered questions and greeted well wishers November 25th after two showings of the award winning documentary Bridegroom. The crowd was clearly touched by the powerful story and stayed after for food and conversation. Thanks to Cindy and family for sharing this night.
The 7:00 P.M. showing of Bridegroom at the FVCC Arts and Technology Building room 139 may be sold out, but the KEF is happy to announce it will add another showing at 4:00 P.M. on the same date. Please visit the ticket category in our website toolbar (upper right) to purchase a $7 ticket. Bridegroom has been recognized with the audience choice award at a variety of film festivals including the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival. Subject of this heartfelt documentary, Shane Bitney Crone, will be appearing at both FVCC showings. Students under 17 will need a permission form signed by parents (rated R).
Teachers returned to meet and be welcomed back by KPS Superintendent Darlene Schottle on Monday, August 26th at Flathead High School. KEF Director Mike Kofford announced another teacher training available at the central office on September 24th at 4:00 p.m. for Great Opportunities Grants applications. The applications will be due on October 15, 2013.
The KEF wanted to start off it’s scholarship program by recognizing students who were working hard to achieve their goals and graduate, but might have been overlooked for recognition in the past. Board Member Susan Schmid was familiar with VoAg Center Programs and knew the KEF could find just such students to recognize. She attended the Senior Awards Ceremony on May 11th to present two scholarships with over 300 community members in attendance. This year’s awards went to Ryan Ek, and Austin Levanin.
Local media personality John Hendricks will be opening the Social Media Safety for Parents forum on Monday, May 20th (7:00 P.M.) at Kalispell Middle School. KEF Director Mike Kofford talked with John on May 17th along with panel member Connie Cermak on KGEZ radio about the issue and covered a wide range of parental concerns and tips. Six panel members in all will be taking the stage to give their perspective and answer questions from parents. The forum is co-sponsored by the KEF and AAUW.
When visiting Brad Nikunen’s classroom at Edgerton Elementary School in Kalispell, you will find 25 children busily working away on i-pads and writing assignments. A board on the counter shows the various sections of a dissected baseball carefully cut up and glued to a board for an upcoming display. But it is in the corner where you will see the truly strange contraption consisting of a constructed square of white pvc with a projector and mirror underneath. A polite young man named Graham explains to me that it took three days with Mr. Nikunen for him to learn the system; now he teachers other students how to enter the computer so as to use the interactive screen with infrared pens. The students take turns using the screen for a 4:00 minute geography lesson before tapping the next student in line to try their hand. These are KEF grant dollars at work, and it is very fulfilling to see projects awarded in October begin to find legs and be integrated into the curriculum as we enter May.
